All posts tagged "donald trump jr."

Trump's sons orchestrate secret $3 billion payday thanks to dad's policies: report

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump have quietly raked in billions as the Pentagon has invested in new defense technology, according to a new Washington Post investigation published Monday.

President Donald Trump's sons have made significant investments in military-related startups, "further entangling the United States’ interests and the Trump family’s financial fortunes in an area with immense stakes for national security," The Post reported.

Many of these financial investments have come as Trump returned to the White House.

"The companies have collectively generated at least $3.2 billion in direct government business since the sons invested and an additional $3.1 billion in future contract options," according to The Post. "Some have gained coveted spots on shortlists of preapproved contractors that can bid exclusively on up to nearly $200 billion in future work."

A top priority for Trump's second administration has been focusing on national security and "modernizing the tools of warfighting." And the Trump sons have reportedly cashed in on this Pentagon initiative by building a portfolio focused on this spending priority.

"The Trump sons are part of investment groups that have poured money into established government contractors, such as SpaceX and Anduril, as well as lesser-known start-ups aspiring to build a new generation of nimble, tech-forward weaponry — from drones to humanoid robots that can either mow a lawn or use deadly force," The Post reported. "Most of the firms are in the defense industry, but some focus on products not meant for the battlefield: One company is partnering with the luxury fashion label Prada to design spacesuits, and another is trying to build quantum computers."

Before they sought Pentagon and defense contracts, neither Trump son had notable experience in the defense tech industry. They do not hold any government titles and are currently the vice presidents of the Trump Organization. The White House has denied any inappropriate conduct surrounding the sons' investments or potential conflicts of interest.

"Trump’s sons have described their investments in patriotic terms," according to The Post. "Eric Trump has said the U.S. 'better be winning' the AI race. Trump Jr. has repeatedly argued that the U.S. should be developing an industrial base that can crank out drones to meet potential threats from China."

Political analysts reacted to the explosive new report.

"How fortunate for these two that Daddy can pardon them on the way out the door. Those around them may be less fortunate," Joyce Vance, a former U.S. attorney appointed by former President Barack Obama, wrote on X.

"Trump Jr. & Eric Trump now have investments in over a dozen defense tech companies. Thanks to the nature of defense tech companies, their only real viability is if they can get gov contracts, & guess what! Turns out it is pretty easy to get gov contracts when your dad is the most corrupt president in history," the account They Call Me Gary, a progressive political commentator, wrote on Bluesky.

MAGA ambassador stung by Trump's no-show as insiders say her clout is fading: report

President Donald Trump opted not to visit Greece this week, embarrassing America's ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle, who promised people in Athens that he would, The Daily Mail reported on Friday.

The ex-fiancée of Donald Trump Jr. had reportedly told Greeks that Trump would make the stop on his return trip following the NATO summit in nearby Ankara, Turkey. But instead, Trump snubbed Guilfoyle and did not travel to the Mediterranean country, despite not having any public events scheduled Friday through Sunday.

The move apparently left Greek diplomats "disappointed" and "jaded," insiders told The Mail. It also put Guilfoyle's status as a close Trump family friend into question.

"Her selling of access is just not bought anymore," a source told The Mail.

"Trump's failure to visit highlights growing concerns in Athens that Guilfoyle's influence over US foreign policy has fallen drastically short of what appeared to have been promised," The Mail reported.

She had reportedly urged Trump to visit Greece "in a bid to help restore her image – which never really got off the ground."

In 2015, Guilfoyle had said on Fox News that Greek people live as "freeloaders" and accused people in the country of "retiring too early."

"It doesn't matter if you made great yogurt. I don't care," she said at the time.

Insiders told the outlet that Guilfoyle's sway with the Trump administration appears to have waned.

"Soon after Trump picked her for the role, sources warned that the 'Margarita Girl' – as one former Fox colleague dubbed her because of her apparent love of the cocktail – to be on her best behavior and that the gig was not simply for partying in the sunshine," according to The Mail.

"Guilfoyle appears to have taken the criticism in her stride, and just this month was pictured at gay-friendly Nammos beach club on Mykonos enjoying a glass of Champagne with the US Ambassador to Belgium, Bill White, and his husband," The Mail reported. "The following day, she flew into Paris and wore a nearly-nude maxi dress adorned with hundreds of crystals to attend the fashion week show of Greek designer Celia Kritharioti."

Some Trump cabinet members have visited her in Greece.

"But while she has successfully persuaded lower ranking Trump officials to visit her – including Secretaries of the Interior and Energy, Doug Burgum and Chris Wright – it was a visit from the big man himself that she desperately coveted," according to The Mail.

'Real Housewives' stars ignite firestorm as internet sleuths expose their MAGA ties

Several stars of "The Real Housewives of Rhode Island" faced backlash Thursday after it surfaced that a series of MAGA-coded and transphobic posts had previously been liked by the Bravo cast members, according to reports.

Reddit uncovered that Jo-Ellen Tiberi was accused of "liking" several anti-trans posts shared by Donald Trump Jr., Reality Blurb reported. Her co-stars, Alicia Carmody and Rulla Nehme Pontarelli, were also under fire for liking several anti-LGBTQ posts from the president's son.

Marcus White, the content creator behind the account mrhousewives, shared a series of posts highlighting the accusations against the stars — even pointing to a Charlie Kirk Instagram tribute post from former Bachelor turned "Housewives" star Ashley Iaconetti.

Fans reacted to the social media posts.

"Disappointed but not surprised," Allison Seery wrote on Instagram.

"Nooooooo whyyyyy. Please educate yourself and stop being so hateful. We were all rooting for you," Demerike "Demi" Palecek, Democratic candidate for Illinois House of Representatives District 13, wrote on Instagram.

"Well another one bite the dust. No longer watching RI. We don’t need this trash on tv," John Paul Gomez-Nieves wrote on Threads.

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'Wait what?' Onlookers recoil from Trump's bizarre family 'threesome' remarks

Trump left onlookers recoiling after he made bizarre remarks about a "threesome" with his sons.

During a speech at the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota on Wednesday, Trump made a few odd and head-turning statements, including that he spoke with the long-deceased Roosevelt.

One of Trump's remarks that left people shocked started with him talking about generals Arthur and Douglas MacArthur, and wanting to be part of a father-son duo that has won the Medal of Honor.

"As I see my two beautiful sons sitting there, I think I'm going to give one to myself, one to them," Trump said, with Don Jr. and Eric Trump in the audience. "And we'll have a threesome."

Trump's strange phrasing attracted online criticism and mockery, especially as Trump smiled during the remark and drew out the last line.

The X account for the press office of New York Governor Kathy Hochul asked, "A WHAT??"

"Wait what?" disability advocate James Tate similarly reacted.

"Alright, brother...hang up those cleats," wrote Capitol Hill reporter Julian Andreone.

"Okay, we knew about Ivanka but this is too much," posted Canadian political commentator Jim Stewartson, referring to similar disturbing comments Trump has made about his daughter.

"Even worse when you realize he was using a teleprompter," noted political commentator Hemant Mehta.

Political activist Melanie D'Arrigo posted "Most Corrupt President" next to "Most Embarrassing President" with a shaking hands emoji between them and "Donald Trump" below it, suggesting that Trump is a marriage between those two dubious titles.

Ted Cruz called out as feud with Don Jr. spills into public: 'Opposite of MAGA'

The feud between Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Donald Trump Jr. is spilling into the public eye with a scathing response on X.

Benjamin Domenech, the opinion editor for the conservative Daily Wire, quoted Cruz in a post on X that took aim at Trump's dubious Iran deal. The quote came from an interview between Cruz and Domenech published by The Daily Wire.

"Nearly one thousand Americans have been murdered by the Ayatollah and the mullahs," the Cruz quote read. "It is not remotely in America's interest for us to pay to rebuild that capacity that we just took out."

Don Jr. furiously responded to the quote and denounced it as a lie while blasting Cruz's MAGA credentials.

"The only problem with this quote is that @tedcruz is lying thru his teeth about the deal," Don Jr. wrote. "We're not giving them a cent and he knows that. Using fake news about the peace deal to undermine @realDonaldTrump is the opposite of MAGA."

Although Cruz retweeted Domenech's post quoting him, he didn't immediately fire back at Don Jr.

Mary Trump scorches 'horrible' cousin Don Jr. as Trump no-shows his wedding

Mary Trump, the president's niece, ripped her cousin, Donald Trump Jr., while responding to news that Trump senior skipped his son's wedding.

"For those feeling sorry for Donny, Donny is a horrible human being," Mary said during an appearance on the Dean Obeidallah show. "He's a little Nazi. He's totally unaccomplished, and he's a racist and a misogynist and just a terrible person, so don't waste your time feeling bad for him."

Trump Jr. married his second wife on Thursday. The president earlier in the week suggested he might not make the wedding, saying it's "not good timing" as he's busy with Iran and the media will criticize him regardless.

Mary, who wrote a book about her uncle, added that Trump senior is "incapable of loving as well" and doubted his excuse.

"He plays golf several times a week, not just the weekends," she pointed out. "And he has massive amounts of time to talk to reporters."

She also speculated that "He just doesn't want to go because he can't stand his kid," and added, "Parents are supposed to go."

Vanessa Trump reveals cancer diagnosis

Vanessa Trump, the president's former daughter-in-law, revealed in a social media post that she was diagnosed with breast cancer, according to reports.

"I've recently been diagnosed with breast cancer," she wrote in an Instagram post. "While this isn't news anyone expects, I'm working closely with my medical team on a treatment plan."

Vanessa, 48, is the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr. The two divorced in 2018 after 12 years of marriage and five children together. She is now dating Tiger Woods.

The Daily Beast noted that Ivanka Trump commented on her post, "Praying for your continued strength and a swift recovery. Love you mama."

'I'm sorry, what?' Ex-GOP rep gobsmacked by fine print for Trump's gold phone

An ex-GOP congressman couldn't believe what he heard when learning about the Trump family's gold "Made in USA" phone that's starting to sound like it could be a scam.

"Company executives confirmed the phone would actually be manufactured overseas with only the final assembly of about 10 components happening in Miami," Adam Kinzinger, a former GOP lawmaker and outspoken Trump critic, said in a video he posted on X on Tuesday.

Kinzinger was talking about Eric and Donald Trump Jr.'s venture to sell a gold Trump phone, the T1, which was marketed as made and manufactured in the United States with wireless service from Trump Mobile. The two sons collected an estimated $59 million in deposits from an estimated 590,000 buyers — figures that Trump Mobile executives have refused to confirm. As of this month, not a single confirmed customer has received the device.

"Trump Mobile quietly updated the fine print on its pre-order page to say the $100 deposit doesn't guarantee that a device will be produced or made available for purchase," Kinzinger said. "I'm sorry, what?"

On top of that, "industry analysts have since identified the likely manufacturer as Wingtech," a Chinese company, Kinzinger said. Analysts at Creative Strategies identified the T1 as likely a reskinned version of the Wingtech Revvl 7 Pro 5G, a device already sold by T-Mobile in the United States, at roughly a third of the Trump phone's $499 price tag.

Kinzinger pointed out that the "made in USA language quietly disappeared from the website" that promotes the phone, and was replaced "with vague phrases like 'designed with American values.'"

Democratic senators, including Elizabeth Warren, have called on the FTC to investigate the venture for alleged "bait-and-switch tactics" and false advertising over the "Made in USA" claim. The FTC has not confirmed whether an investigation has been opened. Trump Mobile says deposits are refundable on request, though the updated terms also give the company the right to cancel the device entirely and refund only the original deposit amount.

While some government agencies have been slow to investigate, Kinzinger said to "watch the customer base because the people who paid for a gold Trump phone are among the most loyal supporters this president has, and he's just openly and shamelessly ripping them off."

'The Apprentice' star Omarosa claims Don Jr. doesn't have the chops to host rumored reboot

A former Trump aide and contestant on his bygone reality show "The Apprentice" cast doubt that Donald Trump Jr. can bring back his dad's star power.

"The reason 'The Apprentice' was so successful is because Donald Trump was a businessman who had all these different avenues, from his golf courses to his hotels," Omarosa Manigault Newman, known as Omarosa, said on CNN on Friday. "What will Don Jr. talk about in terms of his business success?"

Omarosa weighed in on the rumored return of the show where she made her name. Trump Jr. is said to be the preferred host if Amazon is indeed bringing it back, as reports suggest. However, Omarosa suggested the show should go in another direction.

"I don't know that he had his own individual success," Omarosa said. "There is someone from the Trump family that I think could be successful, and this is Ivanka Trump."

The president's eldest daughter "has a different level of charisma, and she has a good business acumen," Omarosa said. She credited Ivanka with successfully running her clothing and jewelry lines.

"Between the two of them, I would choose Ivanka as the host," Omarosa said, but she also had other surprising ideas

"A little-known fact: Ron DeSantis once tried out for 'The Apprentice,'" Omarosa said. "He's going to be out of a job soon. Maybe he could be considered for host."

" Ron DeSantis, I wouldn't have had that on my bingo card," responded CNN anchor Erin Burnett.